1774 United States 1/2 penny Value

Depending on how well it survived, a 1774 United States 1/2 penny brings anywhere from its melt value to well into four figures. Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1774 United States 1/2 penny value by grade

1774 United States 1/2 penny value by grade
GradeEstimated value

Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.

What is a 1774 United States 1/2 penny worth right now?

Pricing for the 1774 United States 1/2 penny depends on grade and current collector demand.

1774 United States 1/2 penny specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1774
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Copper
Weight
7.469 g
Diameter
28 mm

Why this coin has no mint mark

The 1774 United States 1/2 penny was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.

Where this coin's value comes from

Documented examples of the 1774 United States 1/2 penny in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.

Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. For the 1774 United States 1/2 penny, the enduring popularity of the series translates directly into buyers in every grade and every market cycle.

1774 United States 1/2 penny inscriptions & design

Obverse

GEORGIVS III REX

bust laurel. cuir. r.

Reverse

BRITANNIA

Britannia std. l.

Measured 1774 United States 1/2 penny specimens

1 physically measured 1774 United States 1/2 penny example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 7.469 g, 28 mm minting standard.

Measured 1774 United States 1/2 penny specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1774 United States 1/2 penny #17.469 g28 mm-Seaby.3774, Breen.1005

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.